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2011MD on 26 June 2011.
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Discovery
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| Discovered by | LINEAR |
| Discovery date | June 22, 2011 |
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Designations
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| Minor planet category |
Apollo |
| Aphelion | 1.0960 AU |
| Perihelion | 1.0160 AU |
| Semi-major axis | 1.0560 AU |
| Eccentricity | 0.037879 |
| Orbital period | 396 d 9 h |
| Mean anomaly | 53.223° |
| Inclination | 2.449° |
| Longitude of ascending node | 272.368° |
| Argument of perihelion | 4.963° |
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Physical characteristics
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| Dimensions | 10–45 meters |
2011 MD is an Apollo asteroid that passed relatively close to Earth's surface — at a distance of about 12,000 kilometers (7,500 mi), roughly the diameter of the Earth — at around 17:00 UTC (13:00 EDT) on June 27, 2011.[1][2][3][4] Although the object was initially believed to be space junk, subsequent observations confirmed that it is an asteroid.[3]
A few hours before the asteroid's nearest approach in 2011, it appeared close to the Sun, so observations were possible for only a brief period. Backyard astronomers were able to observe it with telescopes from Australia, southern Africa, and the Americas.[3]
The asteroid was discovered on June 22, 2011, by the Lincoln Near-Earth Asteroid Research (LINEAR) pair of robotic telescopes in New Mexico, and according to rough estimates, the asteroid's length is between 10 and 45 meters (30 and 150 ft).[5]
Emily Baldwin of Astronomy Now said that there was no threat of collision, and should the asteroid enter Earth's atmosphere, it would "mostly burn up in a brilliant fireball, possibly scattering a few meteorites", causing no likely harm to life or property on the ground.[5]
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Trajectory of 2011 MD projected onto the Earth's orbital plane. Note from this viewing angle, the asteroid passes underneath the Earth. |
Trajectory of 2011 MD from the general direction of the Sun. |